A self-described bibliophile, Taylor Arrey was that kid who always seemed to have her face in a book. Now a recent Cal State Fullerton graduate, Arrey took her love for all things reading and writing and carved out a memorable college experience that has set her on the road to career success.
Born in Albuquerque, N.M., Arrey was 2 years old when she and her family moved to Southern California and settled in Corona. With an aunt and uncle who are Titan alumni, CSUF was always on her radar as a possible college path. Her acceptance into the university’s prestigious President’s Scholars Program, along with a campus interview, sealed the deal on her decision to become a Titan.
“It was such the community of support, guidance and love,” Arrey said. “Everyone was so accepting and welcoming, I felt like this was where I was meant to be for the next four years.”
Arrey entered her freshman year as an English major and received plenty of well-meaning questions from friends and family asking, “What exactly do you do with that?” The 2018 Corona High School graduate knew she did not have an interest in teaching, but she wanted to write, so she kept her options open.
“When I entered college, I led with that passion of I enjoy reading and writing, and let’s see what I can do with it,” Arrey said.
Her admittance as a President’s Scholar not only provided Arrey with a merit-based full-tuition scholarship, but the program allowed her a number of unique experiences that led her to the Daily Titan, CSUF’s student newspaper.
In just her second semester on campus, she joined the Daily Titan staff as a news assistant and immediately found a connection to journalism, so much so that she added the discipline as a minor.
“I fell in love with journalism immediately,” Arrey said.
Coming in without any prior experience, Arrey spent six semesters on staff in positions that ranged from news desk reporter to lifestyle assistant to editor-in-chief, a role she held in 2021.
Arrey credits the Daily Titan for pushing her down a path to journalism, and once that chapter closed, another one opened when she took on a new role as an editorial student assistant in CSUF’s Strategic Communications department.
Since taking the position in February, one she plans to keep through the summer, Arrey has provided support by writing news articles, briefs, feature stories and advertising copy. And while she finds that in this role she interacts more with faculty than with her peers, the time spent representing CSUF’s student voice prepared her for this next step.
“I found that a lot of my Daily Titan skills and knowledge I brought into this job,” Arrey said. “It’s been amazing. I love it there.”
Now with her bachelor’s degree in hand, the first-generation graduate reflects on her time as a Titan with gratitude for those among the campus community who were willing to teach her, willing to help her grow and wanted to see her thrive.
“Because I had so many different opportunities, I really learned the value of taking what I had learned and putting it into different avenues within those opportunities,” Arrey said. “And in every opportunity that I took, I found the support that I needed. I found the open spaces that I needed.”
While her role with CSUF’s Strategic Communications team has been a welcome complement to her time with the Daily Titan, Arrey’s longtime dream job is to head down the 57 Freeway to Angel Stadium and be a baseball writer covering the Los Angeles Angels.
A sports fan to her core who grew up watching the boys of summer, Arrey’s devotion to all things Halos is a significant part of her life. Many nights spent at the Big A as a young fan she would dream of sitting in the press box. She even celebrated college graduation day with tickets to a game.
Arrey is keeping her beat writing skills sharp as a contributor to Katella Chronicles (katellachronicles.wordpress.com), a local fan blog that covers the latest happenings with both the Angels and the Anaheim Ducks.
With her eye on the sportswriter prize, Arrey knows her path at CSUF has given her the confidence she needs to help turn that dream into a reality.
“Cal State Fullerton afforded me so many opportunities to explore journalism as best I could, in every avenue I could,” Arrey said. “From the student media organizations (Daily Titan, Tusk Magazine), then moving on to Strategic Communications, I was able to explore something I was really passionate about, in every sense of the word.”
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